ABC Says Jimmy Kimmel Live Is Not Confirmed to End in 2027. Georgia Viewers Have Seen the Affiliate Fight Before
A report claimed Jimmy Kimmel's ABC run would end when his contract expires in May 2027, but ABC says no such decision has been made. For viewers in Augusta and Macon, the show's future has an unusual local connection.
A report that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will end in 2027 is being disputed by ABC, leaving the future of one of television's longest-running late-night programs unresolved.
USA TODAY reported that ABC described claims of a 2027 ending as inaccurate and speculative after Page Six reported that Jimmy Kimmel's current season would be his last and that his contract would not be extended after it expires in May 2027.
So as of September 8, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has not been officially canceled, and ABC has not announced that the program will end in 2027.
That distinction matters because Kimmel's current contract does, in fact, expire next year.
Kimmel is under contract through May 2027
Kimmel signed a one-year extension with ABC in December 2025 that keeps him hosting the program through May 2027.
That means two things can be true at once: Kimmel currently has a contract ending in 2027, but ABC says there is no confirmed decision that the program itself will end when that contract expires.
The uncertainty comes as Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns from its summer break. ABC's official schedule shows Kimmel back behind the desk on September 8.
Why this national TV story has a Georgia connection
For most Georgia viewers, whether Kimmel continues after 2027 is simply a national entertainment story.
But viewers in Augusta and Macon have already experienced a situation in which their local ABC affiliate determined whether Jimmy Kimmel Live! appeared on their television sets.
That happened in September 2025.
After ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel following controversial comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the network announced that the show would return.
Two major station groups, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, initially declined to resume airing it on their ABC affiliates.
Georgia was directly included.
Augusta: WJBF
WJBF in Augusta is an ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar. When Nexstar continued preempting Kimmel after ABC restored the program in September 2025, Augusta was among the affected television markets.
Macon: WGXA
Macon viewers were affected on the Sinclair side.
WGXA is both a FOX and ABC affiliate operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Its ABC programming was among the Sinclair affiliates that did not initially resume Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the network restored the show.
Sinclair and Nexstar eventually ended their preemptions later that month, returning the program to their ABC stations.
The 2025 dispute showed how local stations still matter
The episode highlighted something that can be easy to forget in the streaming era.
ABC distributes national programming, but many ABC stations around the country are locally operated affiliates owned by separate broadcasting companies.
Those station groups can sometimes make programming decisions of their own.
That is precisely what happened with Kimmel.
ABC resumed production nationally, while some affiliate owners continued withholding the show locally.
For Georgia viewers in Augusta and Macon, the result was that what appeared on ABC depended partly on decisions made by Nexstar and Sinclair rather than ABC alone.
What ABC is actually saying now
ABC's position on the latest report is much simpler.
There has been no announced decision to end Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2027.
The Page Six report cited unnamed sources saying Kimmel's contract would not be extended. ABC publicly challenged that account.
That does not guarantee Kimmel will continue beyond May 2027.
It means the claim that his departure has already been decided is not confirmed.
Late-night television is already changing
Kimmel has hosted his ABC program since 2003, putting him among the longest-serving hosts currently associated with a major network late-night franchise.
His current one-year contract structure has also fueled recurring questions about when he might decide to leave.
Meanwhile, the economics of traditional late-night television continue to change as audiences move toward streaming, YouTube clips and social platforms.
Kimmel himself has openly discussed retirement at different points, but that is different from ABC formally deciding to cancel the program.
As of now, the show remains on ABC's schedule.
What happens next
For now, Kimmel is back on the air and remains under contract through May 2027.
ABC has not announced another extension.
It also has not announced the end of the show.
The next meaningful development would be confirmation from Kimmel, ABC or Disney about what happens after the current contract expires.
Until then, reports claiming that Jimmy Kimmel Live! is definitively ending in 2027 should be treated as unconfirmed speculation, not an announced cancellation.